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Owner searching for rare African serval cat

A juvenile serval, a cat native to South East Africa, cranes its neck back as it wakes from an afternoon snooze at the Staten Island Zoo, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005 in New York.

AP Photo/Mary Schwalm

By Nancy TankerTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 4:48 p.m.

Flat Rock resident Emily Hill is very worried about the welfare of her beloved African serval cat, Gyasi (pronounced "Josie").

About four days ago, "one of my friends accidentally left the door cracked, and he slipped out the door" of her house on McMurray Road, Hill explained. She's afraid that because of the cat's size — 45 pounds — and its cheetah-like appearance, someone will mistake him for a wild animal and shoot or otherwise harm him.

She purchased the cat from a private breeder when he was a kitten about five years ago and says he has a friendly disposition.

David Meeks, owner of Hollywild Animal Park in Wellford, S.C., has extensive experience with exotic animals, including African servals. Meeks says Gyasi is one big scaredy-cat.

"Right now he's very scared. He'll run from everything and everyone he sees," Meeks said. "He's very frightened.

"He's not going to attack children or attack anyone. He'll run, or he'll lay down on the ground in the grass and try to hide. Anything they lay in, they're almost camouflaged, despite their coat. They lay flat against the ground and lay very still. He'd be very hard to spot."

In addition to the possibility that Gyasi might be harmed by a person mistaking the cat for a wild animal, he also faces the threat of starvation in the wild, Meeks said.

"If he's been living in someone's house for five years, he's used to being fed dinner and doesn't have any hunting skills," Meeks said. "… A domestic animal in a wild situation is very vulnerable.

"His normal diet is chicken, beef, pork, fish — raw meat," he said. "In the wild they'll eat birds, rats, small animals. They have an amazing ability to jump high — 8 feet. I've seen one jump up and snatch a sparrow right out of the air.

<p>Flat Rock resident Emily Hill is very worried about the welfare of her beloved African serval cat, Gyasi (pronounced "Josie"). </p><p>About four days ago, "one of my friends accidentally left the door cracked, and he slipped out the door" of her house on McMurray Road, Hill explained. She's afraid that because of the cat's size — 45 pounds — and its cheetah-like appearance, someone will mistake him for a wild animal and shoot or otherwise harm him.</p><p>Gyasi is "definitely fully domesticated, and he wouldn't hurt anyone," Hill said. "He uses a litter box like a normal cat. He's just big." </p><p>She purchased the cat from a private breeder when he was a kitten about five years ago and says he has a friendly disposition. </p><p>David Meeks, owner of Hollywild Animal Park in Wellford, S.C., has extensive experience with exotic animals, including African servals. Meeks says Gyasi is one big scaredy-cat.</p><p>"Right now he's very scared. He'll run from everything and everyone he sees," Meeks said. "He's very frightened.</p><p>"He's not going to attack children or attack anyone. He'll run, or he'll lay down on the ground in the grass and try to hide. Anything they lay in, they're almost camouflaged, despite their coat. They lay flat against the ground and lay very still. He'd be very hard to spot." </p><p>In addition to the possibility that Gyasi might be harmed by a person mistaking the cat for a wild animal, he also faces the threat of starvation in the wild, Meeks said.</p><p>"If he's been living in someone's house for five years, he's used to being fed dinner and doesn't have any hunting skills," Meeks said. "… A domestic animal in a wild situation is very vulnerable.</p><p>"His normal diet is chicken, beef, pork, fish — raw meat," he said. "In the wild they'll eat birds, rats, small animals. They have an amazing ability to jump high — 8 feet. I've seen one jump up and snatch a sparrow right out of the air.</p><p>"At 45 pounds, that cat is definitely overweight," Meeks added, a fact that might aid his survival.</p><p>It's unlikely that Gyasi would wander into someone's yard and try to eat small pet, Meeks said. </p><p>"He's scared and just wants to hide right now. To sleep at night, he'll find a dark spot where he can make himself small and see everything from every angle, if possible."</p><p>The best way to catch the cat would be to bait a walk-in trap or find the cat and tranquilize him, Meeks said.</p><p>Sgt. Mike Marsteller with animal enforcement unit of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office was preparing to set a trap at Hill's house late Thursday afternoon.</p><p>"They've left the doors and windows open at the house with the hope that he will come back," Marsteller said.</p><p>Despite being scared, Gyasi might approach his owner "if he's within hearing distance" of Hill, Meeks said. "He's got to be really hungry after four days."</p><p>An owner needs a permit to possess an African serval, Marsteller said, and it's unclear whether Hill has a permit. </p><p>The matter is under investigation, he said.</p><p>Reach Tanker at 828-694-7871 or nancy.tanker@blueridgenow.com.</p>